Wow, it's been a busy new year... we're launching rockets one after another, and I've been working on my Hukilau presentation about the Yankee Clipper Hotel. On my birthday in January, we attended a really fun Tiki party at the gorgeous home of Phillip and Ann Haire in Satellite Beach, where drinks were served by master mixologist, George Jenkins, and live entertainment was by "The Blastoffs," a band with a name perfectly befitting the Space Coast.

I took a little break last weekend and visited our friends at Ohana Luau in the Hawaiian Inn at Daytona Beach, Florida. Here's a photo of beautiful Wailana, leader of the Hawaiian Inn performing troupe, "Silhouettes of Polynesia"...

Weekend after next, I'm journeying back to Fort Lauderdale and the Mai-Kai... call it a research expedition, but it's really fun more than research. Traveling with me will be one of the former Yankee Clipper Polynesian Room performers who also worked at the Mai-Kai, as well as many other temples of mid-century faux Polynesia in Florida and elsewhere. More to come...

Mahalo, HereTikiTiki, for visiting. Flattered to serve as inspiration... time for you to make your own special island.

Wendy, that mural is located on the great room west wall over the stairway. The bar is to the immediate left (south) if you're looking at the mural. On the east side opposite the mural are two sets of sliding glass doors overlooking the open air deck and Atlantic Ocean.

Wendy, you can see the progress photos on the mural, starting with the concept sketch on page 3 of this thread, and continuing intermittently with photos (in many instances, early iPhone quality) on pages 4 through 6.

The Blowfish Bar had distinguished visitors on a recent weekend. Barney Lee and his significant other, Wailana, drove up from Palm Bay, Florida, where they live, to Flagler Beach. Barney, known by his stage name as Faalia or Prince Faalia, was a fire knife dancer who came from the Hotel Lexington Hawaiian Room in New York City to Fort Lauderdale, where he performed in the Yankee Clipper Polynesian Room, then at the Mai-Kai. He later organized, produced and starred in the Polynesian show at Tahiti Village in Key Largo, Florida. Wailana had her own Polynesian production company that played club dates all over Florida and beyond.

Lee, as he prefers to be called in retirement, brought a special house gift: a Tiki he personally carved from a Palm log...

It now guards the doorway in the master bedroom...

Lee and Wailana are both warm and kind, grand individuals of the mid-century Tiki era.